1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a schedule management apparatus for storing and displaying a schedule.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Conventional schedule management apparatus are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Hei 5(1993)-174033 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Sho 57(1982)-3076.
Such a schedule management apparatus often performs a function of displaying various images with a single input by setting various display formats after a date and a plan data are inputted in a step for inputting a schedule having a predetermined term.
However, no conventional schedule management apparatus performed a function of displaying the term and contents of the schedule without setting a format in a display screen for a day or for a week which overlaps with the inputted schedule.
In a conventional method, it was possible to set a specific day by designating coordinates on a screen where a calendar is displayed (by pointing with a pen on a tablet screen where dates of the calendar are displayed). However, no conventional schedule management apparatus performed a function of calculating the term of a schedule to display the dates of the term in reverse video when the term from the start day to the end day are inputted as continuous coordinates in setting the schedule.
Moreover, since it was impossible to set the term for a schedule by simply designating coordinates in inputting the term that lies across a plurality of months, no conventional schedule management apparatus performed a function of setting a term that lies across a plurality of months by designation of continuous coordinates at a time.
Some conventional schedule management apparatus can perform a function of inputting, at a time, a term including a plurality of set days. Other conventional schedule management apparatus can perform a function of inputting, at a time, the same plan for certain prescribed days of the week for an indefinite period of time.
However, if the same plan existed on certain prescribed days of the week (Here, a day of the week means one of the seven days in a week, i.e. Sun., Mon., . . . , or Sat.) for a definite period of time, it was not possible to input the schedule at a time in a conventional schedule management apparatus. Also, when a term schedule is to be inputted by designation of continuous coordinates (pointing on dates with a pen) in such a conventional schedule management apparatus, no conventional schedule management apparatus performed a function of setting the last designated day to be the end day without provoking an error condition even if the operation was finished after designating coordinates other than the date or the scroll command.
When a schedule exists in a certain period of time in a conventional schedule management apparatus, it was possible to confirm the schedule on a calendar because the contents and the graph of the schedule were displayed. However, when the schedule was confirmed on a screen for a day or for a week, it was not possible to look at the set term or the plan of a term schedule overlapping with the displayed day or week, so that the screen had to be switched to a calendar.
Also, if the set term for the term schedule is to be inputted by designating coordinates (dates) with a pen on a displayed calendar, it was difficult to confirm with eyes what day the setting of the schedule started from, provoking a fear of misinput.
Moreover, if one wished to set a long term which is lying across months as a term for a schedule, there was provided no means for inputting in coordinates (designation of dates with a pen), necessitating a manual input of the end day of the term to be set, which involved a cumbersome work.
Also, when a plan existed on a prescribed day of the week or days of the week during a predetermined period of time, there was provided no means for inputting the term at a time, so that it was necessary to input the term, for example, day by day.
Also, an error condition was provoked if coordinates other than a date or a scroll command were designated by a mistake to finish the operation in setting the term schedule by coordinates on a calendar. In such a case, it was necessary to set the term again, which involved a cumbersome work.